The idea of this
poem came to me over the course of several years. As a maturing young woman
who’d been thrust into the American society, it came slowly to me (mostly via
the internet) that the black woman was not viewed as beautiful by a good number
of people. Having grown up on an almost entirely black continent, I was
initially quite surprised. Over time and after reading way too many comments
than I should have under certain Yahoo! articles, I came away more baffled than
surprised. I had always seen beauty in myself and the women around me, so how
come it there were so many people out there who did not? And then it hit me
that there are many black girls growing up in parts of the world where this
message is all they’ve heard for as long as their young minds can remember. So
I decided to put in words the beauty I see in myself and in other black women,
to serve as a reminder for women/girls whose societies have labeled them undesirable
and ugly. My message? Dear brown-skinned girl, you are so damn beautiful even
if they don’t see it. (I don't like being too preachy so this one was a little bit of a reach for me but oh well)
So you braved the odds and came to the world a
month early
And loved to roam the outdoors when you mastered
using those little feet
But long before you knew it school days were here
Where you were told by fellow mates you weren’t
all that
They said your hair was too nappy and puffy
That it did not ebb and flow and cascade like
theirs
But how could they not see the beauty in its
versatility
And the tiny ringlets that were a delight to play
with?
They said your facial features were not what they
liked
Your nose too wide and the lips too thick
But how could they not see how perfectly the nose
framed your face
And the luscious kisses that your generous lips
provided?
They said your body was too full, too non-svelte
Your bosom too voluptuous and your hips too wide
But how could they not see that these same things
Were the very essence of your womanhood in which
you took pride?
They said your skin was too dark
Not white and pale like they would rather have
But how could they not see the beauty in your
chocolate
And caramel skin so fervently maintained by daily
moisturizer?
They took not the time to know you
Just went with the assumption that you were
air-headed
But they didn’t even know about your extensive
readership
Nor did they care to hear about your academic
achievements and goals
They said you were cold and non-deserving
Since the talk was that you had room only to be
angry and wild
Yet they failed to see how big your heart was
And the open arms you held out to everyone who
was in need
And so whilst the world has drawn up its own
picture
Of what you should and should not be
Hang tight to the core precepts of your being
Lest you become what they wish you were.
Mildrede Bonglack
Minnesota,
January 2014
